This river is definitely a treasure for the state of Nebraska. I am not a native Nebraskan, but I sure have grown to love it, and the diverse territories within it. And all the "travelers" rushing through our state think it is all like the flat stretches they experience as they blast down the Super Slab (I-80), along side the Platte River. Which maybe we should just let them keep on thinking that way so that our treasures are not damaged! Thank you for this wonderful look at the chute. I usually do not stray far from the surfaces roads when up on two wheels. Which is how I do lots of my exploring.
Hey Ron, yes you are right. Lots of beauty in Nebraska that people don't know about. I love to share it but let's keep it a secret. Thanks for watching!
The Norden Chute is the long narrow channel you walked along the whole time. What you're calling the "chute" is Norden Falls. The old bridge support shown was from a much older bridge that washed out and got dumped in the river, where it still presumably is. It pre-dated the old bridge you remember. I lived about a quarter mile downstream of this spot on the south side for several years. The "Fairfield Fire" was in the summer of 2012. It took out about 50,000 acres as I recall, including much of the actual town of Norden several miles to the north.
@@stonekayaking The first time I ever laid eyes on that spot in the 1980s there was no chute. The river passed under the bridge at a much higher level and was wider there. The rapid downcutting is a natural phenomenon, from bed-load sand scouring the soft Rosebud siltstone of the riverbed. The whole Niobrara gorge was formed in only about the last 10,000 years, having cut down >300 feet in that time. It's likely the Norden Falls will cut through the rock bar in a few more years, at which time the river level will drop 6-8 feet up to the next bar about a mile upstream, where a new falls/chute will be created.
@@johnortmann3098 Again thank you so much for your insight on this. I find all of this very interesting and helpful. I consider this part of Nebraska my favorite. So much beauty and mystery.
@@stonekayaking You're welcome. I was formerly the director of science and stewardship at the Nature Conspiracy's Niobrara Valley Preserve, on which this site is located. The HQ is just downstream where I lived. Another interesting phenomenon occurs below the falls every summer. Untold millions of minnows and untold thousands of channel catfish are blocked below the falls. With the water literally black with minnows, the catfish swim at the surface inhaling minnows by the dozen. Needless to say, it's a popular fishing hole.
@@stonekayaking You will find this interesting as well. There is a world-class fossil site on top of the bluff on the south bank, just downstream of the bluff. In this video th-cam.com/video/06utTusLfZY/w-d-xo.html it's featured beginning at about 21:20. You recognize the area.
This river is definitely a treasure for the state of Nebraska. I am not a native Nebraskan, but I sure have grown to love it, and the diverse territories within it. And all the "travelers" rushing through our state think it is all like the flat stretches they experience as they blast down the Super Slab (I-80), along side the Platte River. Which maybe we should just let them keep on thinking that way so that our treasures are not damaged!
Thank you for this wonderful look at the chute. I usually do not stray far from the surfaces roads when up on two wheels. Which is how I do lots of my exploring.
Hey Ron, yes you are right. Lots of beauty in Nebraska that people don't know about. I love to share it but let's keep it a secret. Thanks for watching!
The Norden Chute is the long narrow channel you walked along the whole time. What you're calling the "chute" is Norden Falls. The old bridge support shown was from a much older bridge that washed out and got dumped in the river, where it still presumably is. It pre-dated the old bridge you remember.
I lived about a quarter mile downstream of this spot on the south side for several years.
The "Fairfield Fire" was in the summer of 2012. It took out about 50,000 acres as I recall, including much of the actual town of Norden several miles to the north.
Thanks for the info. I can't imagine living down there. It is so beautiful and peaceful. Thanks for watching!
@@stonekayaking The first time I ever laid eyes on that spot in the 1980s there was no chute. The river passed under the bridge at a much higher level and was wider there. The rapid downcutting is a natural phenomenon, from bed-load sand scouring the soft Rosebud siltstone of the riverbed. The whole Niobrara gorge was formed in only about the last 10,000 years, having cut down >300 feet in that time. It's likely the Norden Falls will cut through the rock bar in a few more years, at which time the river level will drop 6-8 feet up to the next bar about a mile upstream, where a new falls/chute will be created.
@@johnortmann3098 Again thank you so much for your insight on this. I find all of this very interesting and helpful. I consider this part of Nebraska my favorite. So much beauty and mystery.
@@stonekayaking You're welcome. I was formerly the director of science and stewardship at the Nature Conspiracy's Niobrara Valley Preserve, on which this site is located. The HQ is just downstream where I lived.
Another interesting phenomenon occurs below the falls every summer. Untold millions of minnows and untold thousands of channel catfish are blocked below the falls. With the water literally black with minnows, the catfish swim at the surface inhaling minnows by the dozen. Needless to say, it's a popular fishing hole.
@@stonekayaking You will find this interesting as well. There is a world-class fossil site on top of the bluff on the south bank, just downstream of the bluff. In this video th-cam.com/video/06utTusLfZY/w-d-xo.html
it's featured beginning at about 21:20. You recognize the area.